The Department of Veterans Affairs has reversed course on a controversial new rule that could lower veterans’ disability ratings if medications or treatment reduce the daily effects of service-connected illness or injuries.
VA Secretary Doug Collins announced on Thursday that the agency is “halting enforcement” of the rule after introducing it with no public notice just two days before. His Thursday comments did not immediately make clear whether the rule would be formally rescinded, but Collins added that the rule “will not be enforced at any time in the future.”
Collins’ announcement came after ferocious pushback to the rule from a wide spectrum of veterans service organizations, including traditional groups like the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars along with newer organizations like Burn Pits 360 and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Veterans and advocates all noted that the VA put the rule in place with no public input and warned that veterans might feel compelled under the rule to stop taking prescribed medications to avoid a lower rating.
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Collins and VA officials had spent much of the previous two days defending the rule, arguing it codified rules already in practice in VA health clinics, a claim advocates disputed.
“While VA does not agree with the way this rule has been characterized, the department always takes Veterans’ concerns seriously,” Collins wrote in a Thursday X post.
He added that the VA will continue to collect public comments on the rule.
Since the rule was first published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, officials with veterans service organizations have publicly rebuked the VA for the policy change.
“The veteran community and its accredited representatives were not meaningfully engaged prior to publication of this rule, and the absence of full transparency has eroded trust in the process,” Michael Figlioli, the national service director for the VFW, told Task & Purpose on Thursday. “Organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and our partner organizations stand ready to work constructively with the Secretary to develop a responsible, evidence-based solution that upholds statutory requirements, respects judicial precedent, and meets the needs of veterans, family members, and survivors.”
After Collins announced the about-face Thursday, several veterans service organizations praised the decision.
“No veteran should ever have to worry that taking medications they need due to their illnesses and injuries could result in the reduction of their benefits,” said Coleman Nee, the national commander for Disabled American Veterans.
“The nearly universal negative response from veterans shows that the VA did not fully consider the potentially harmful impacts of this decision,” said Carl Blake, chief executive officer of Paralyzed Veterans of America. “We look forward to working with Secretary Collins and his leadership team to better understand their goals and to find ways to address their concerns while ensuring veterans’ well-being remains the top priority.”
Rosie Torres, co-founder of Burn Pits 360, said her group is calling on the VA to formally withdraw the rule and take other steps, including allowing for “full public, clinical, and veteran community input.”
In his announcement, Collins did not disavow the policy, framing it as a way to “protect Veterans’ benefits in the wake of an ongoing court action.”
The underlying issue of the rule — tying benefits to medical treatment — is at the heart of an ongoing federal court case. Army veteran Carlton Ingram is appealing VA decisions around musculoskeletal injuries to his back and left ankle, for which he took pain medication. A court ruled in late 2025 that the VA must “discount beneficial medication effects” when determining Ingram’s disability rating, and his case remains pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
“I applaud the Secretary for making this decision, allowing the litigation to proceed in court and for your voices to be heard prior to the rule taking effect,” Dan K. Wiley, national commander of the American Legion, said on Thursday.
UPDATE: 02/19/2026; This article was updated after publication with reactions to the VA’s policy reversal and additional information.
